Planning board

ABSTRACT

A planning board comprising a base plate adapted to be detachably secured to a support, the base plate being provided with a number of rows of clamping strips. At one end or edge of the planning board which extends transverse to the direction in which the clamping strips extend there is provided a recess means which extends over the entire length of this edge, and such recess means penetrates through the clamping strips and extends at least up to the region of the base plate.

United States Patent Wagner Mar. 5, 1974 [54] PLANNING BOARD 2,115,276 4/1938 Morse ..40/l24 X 2,452,449 10/1948 Forsyth [76] Inventor wagne" Kapfstelg 3 150 296 9/1964 M 1 t .h 40 142 A ux 8032, Zurich, Switzerland c n m l F R l N Filed: Oct. 1971 O E G PATENTS. OR APPLICATIONS 174,759 10/1952 Austria 40/63 R [21] Appl. N0.: 188,822 877,978 9/1961 Great Britainuu.

363,104 9/1938 Italy 35/7 R A l' t Pri 't D ta [30] 1 y a Primary Examiner-Robert w. Michell Oct. 19, 1970 Switzerland 15363/70 Assistant Examimr l Wolff Att A F 52 US. 01. 40/63 R, 40/124.2, 40/159, omey Werner w 269/295 4 51 Int. Cl. 00919/00 ABSTRACT 1 1 Field 01883111140/63 R, 124, 7813 A planning board comprising a base plate adapted to 10/159; 35/75, 76; 83/4661; 269/295 be detachably secured to a support, the base plate being provided with a number of rows of clamping 1 References Cited strips. At one end or edge of the planning board which UNITED STATES PATENTS extends transverse to the direction in which the 2,041,240 5 1936 Gluesing 269 295 x clamping Strips extend there is Provided a recess 3,410,012 11 196 Kumei er 1, 40 3 A x means which extends over the entire length of this 2,959,879 11/1960 Mazur 40/63 R X edge, and such recess means penetrates through the 886,320 4/1908 re o X clamping strips and extends at least up to the region of 1,408,469 3 1922 Rand 40 124.2 the base plate 1,788,715 1/1931 Hall 40/63 R X 1,790,287 1/1931 Stevens et a1 40/124 X 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention broadly relates to the art of display or indicator devices and, more particularly, concerns a new and improved construction of planning board incorporating a base plate capable of being releasably attached to a support, a number of rows of clamping strips being arranged at the base plate.

Planning boards of the previously mentioned type are already known to the art and typically possess at their rear face permanent magnets, by means of which such can be releasably attached to a support formed of ferromagnetic material. These planning boards typically advantageously possess the size of a DIN A4-sheet of paper slightly larger than the standard letter size stationery used in the United States. Such planning boards are arranged in conjunction with other planning boards in such a way that their clamping strips are in alignment with one another. The clamping strips form positional lines and serve to accommodate planning strips, markers or information indicators, hereinafter merely simply referred to a planning strips, and upon which there can be portrayed the planned result or other information. These planning strips oftentimes extend from one planning board to the other.

But with this type construction it is not, however, readily possible to remove a planning board for the purpose of reproducing the planned situation or event, since the individual planning boards are interconnected with one another by the thus extending planning strips. Previously, if it was desired to remove the individual planning boards, then, it was necessary to disturb the planned situation or informational display.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, from what has been stated above it will be recognized that a real need still exists in the art for an improved construction of planning board which is not associated with the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art constructions. Hence, a primary object of the present invention is to provide just such improved construction of planning board which effectively and reliably overcomes the limitations and disadvantages existent in the state-of-the-art planning board structures.

Another and more specific object of the present invention relates to a novel construction of planning board wherein it is possible to readily disassemble and separate the individual boards making up the entire planning board unit, without materially disturbing the informational display, so that the contents of the individual planning boards can be copied and then readily recombined to easily reconstruct the original displayed information.

Now, in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the inventive planning board arrangement of the previously mentioned type contemplates providing the planning board at least at an edge or side which extends transverse to the direction of extent of the clamping strips with a recess extending over the entire length of such edge. This recess penetrates through the clamping strips and extends at least up to the region of the base plate.

By providing a construction of planning board as considered above it is possible to effectively overcome the previously discussed drawbacks in a most simple manner. The individual planning boards can be assembled adjacent one another in the normal way as was heretofore known, but by virtue of the recess provided at least at one of the side edges or ends and which extends transverse to the extension of the clamping strips there is formed a gap or slot between neighboring planning boards. This gap or slot is advantageously large enough that the individual planning strips which extend over neighboring planning boards can be easily cut through by any suitable cutting tool. Then the individual planning boards can be removed and reproduced at standard copying or reproduction equipment. This affords the possibility of duplicating the informational display or planned situation and to disseminate such to other interested parties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and objects F IG. 2 is an end view of a planning board constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Describing now the drawing, in FIG. 1 there is illustrated in fragmentary view a planning board assembly or arrangement incorporating a first planning board 1a and a second planning board 1b which are disposed adjacent one another and which at their end faces or edges bear against one another. Each such planning board .is equipped with holding means in the form of clamping strips or ledges 2 into which there can be releasably introduced the planning strips 3. These clamping ledges 2 are arranged in rows which extend lengthwise of the planning boards and when a number of such planning boards are assembled adjacent one another in juxtapositioned relationship all of the clamping ledges 2 are in alignment with one another as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Now, each of the planning boards la, lb, etc., is equipped at least at one face thereof at the side edge or end 4 which extends transverse to the clamping strips 2, with a recess or recess means 5. This recess 5 penetrates through the body of the clamping strips 2 and extends at least up to the region of the base plate 6. It is particularly advantageous if the recess 5 extends at least into the body of the base plate 6. If desired, it would be possible to also provide the second side edge or end disposed transverse'to the direction of running or extent of the clamping strips 2 with a recess analogous to the first recess 5 discussed above. Generally, however, it is sufficient if only one side edge possesses one such recess.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the planning board is equipped at its rear face with permanent magnets 7, by means of which such can be releasably connected with any suitable ferromagnetic support which has not been particularly illustrated. It would also be conceivable to provide the planning board itself with a ferromagnetic layer and to provide magnets at the support. The manner of attaching the planning boards with the support is not crucial and any appropriate attachment means for fulfilling this purpose can be utilized.

Now the slot or gap defined by the recess is so large that a suitable cutting tool, for instance a knife or razor blade, can readily pass through such slot or gap. Further, either the sides of the recess 5 or the neighboring planning board can function as guide means for drawing the knife through such slot. in this way it is possible to effortlessly and faultlessly cut or separate the planning strips 3 and the individual planning boards 1a, lb can be easily removed for reproduction purposes. Following reproduction the planning board can again be reassembled with its neighboring planning board so that between the planning strips 3 there is practically no space or slot which remains. The planning strips 3 themselves are prevented from falling out of the associated planning board by the clamping ledges 2 which retain these planning strips 3 under a sufficient holding force at the planning board.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims. Accordingly,

What is claimed is:

rately removable laterally abutting flat board elements, each board element having a substantially rectangular configuration when viewed in plan and including a base plate, a plurality of clamping ledges horizontally arranged in parallel rows and attached to each of said base plates, said clamping ledges being adapted to removable receive planning strips therein, the rows of clamping ledges on one of said boards being in horizontal abutting alignment with the rows of clamping ledges on the next adjacent abutting board element, so that planning strips positionable within said aligned clamping ledges extend across abutting board elements, said planning board having a guide recess at the abutting edge of one of said adjacent board elements, said guide recess extending substantially orthogonally across said clamping ledges of said board element and at least up to the base plate, said guide recess being adapted to receive and guide a cutting tool therein whereby planning strips horizontally extending from one board element to an adjacent abutting board element can be severed thus permitting the removal of one of said board elements without disturbing the planning strips positioned there within or within the adjacent abutting board element, said planning board further having means whereby said board elements can be detachably secured in an aligned arrangement to a support.

2. The planning board as defined in claim I, wherein said guide recess extends into said base plate.

3. The planning board as defined in claim 1, wherein said means and support include complementary magnetic elements. 

1. A planning board comprising at least two separately removable laterally abutting flat board elements, each board element having a substantially rectangular configuration when viewed in plan and including a base plate, a plurality of clamping ledges horizontally arranged in parallel rows and attached to each of said base plates, said clamping ledges being adapted to removable receive planning strips therein, the rows of clamping ledges on one of said boards being in horizontal abutting alignment with the rows of clamping ledges on the next adjacent abutting board element, so that planning strips positionable within said aligned clamping ledges extend across abutting board elements, said planning board having a guide recess at the abutting edge of one of said adjacent board elements, said guide recess extending substantially orthogonally across said clamping ledges of said board element and at least up to the base plate, said guide recess being adapted to receive and guide a cutting tool therein whereby planning strips horizontally extending from one board element to an adjacent abutting board element can be severed thus permitting the removal of one of said board elements without disturbing the planning strips positioned there within or within the adjacent abutting board element, said planning board further having means whereby said board elements can be detachably secured in an aligned arrangement to a support.
 2. The planning board as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide recess extends into said base plate.
 3. The planning board as defined in claim 1, wherein said means and support include complementary magnetic elements. 